Animal I Have Become
by Vaati's Apprentice
Summary: After Ganon's defeate, Link is left with an unquenchable thirst for blood. Is there anyone in Hyrule who can tame the animal he has become? Based on the song by Three Days Grace.


Well, those of you that have read a few of my stories might've seen this coming. My first romance fic (and a Zellink none the less). Link and Zelda are an impossibly cute couple, so I just had to write a fic about them. I chose to do TP because most of the romance fics that take place in that game are Link x Midna. So I am going to prove that there are still loyal Zellinkers out there. I was actually inspired to write this after listening to Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace, as I mentioned in the description. It just seemed to mirror how I think Link must feel perfectly. So I hope you like my first romance. I do not own the Legend of Zelda or Three Days Grace.

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_I can't escape this hell._

_So many times I've tried._

_But I'm still caged inside._

_Somebody get me through this nightmare!_

_I can't control myself!_

Twilight, neither night nor day. It was the hour when one could almost hear the spirits of those long gone. That was what Russel had once told him. Link had once marveled at the mystery of the hour of twilight. But now, he reviled it. Almost hated it. It had been a month since Ganondorf's defeate, and here Link sat in the Gerudo Desert. The only parts of his outfit he had left were his pants, gloves, and his hat. He also had the Ordon Sword strapped to his back. Link had painted Twili symbols on his bare torso and on his face with clay from underneath the sand. The symbols meant "betrayal" and "forsaken". Midna had taught him some of the old Twili writing during their adventures.

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me!?_

_No one will ever change this animal I have become!_

_Help me believe it's not the real me!_

_Somebody help me tame this animal!_

Midna. She had betrayed him. She said everything was going to be back to normal, and now here he was hungry and alone. Link shook his head, trying to chase away those thaughts. He knew that the last thing Midna wanted to do was hurt him. Still, he couldn't help but feel like he had been lied to. When he was a boy, his now deceased mother would read him stories of brave heroes who went out on adventures. Stories about the slaying of dragons and the rescuing of princesses. And they always ended with those same words, "And they lived happily ever after.". Link had done it all, he had slain a dragon, he had saved lives, he had defeated an evil wizard, he had even saved a princess, two in fact. All that was missing was that last part. Where was his happily ever after? Was the whole hero thing just a big lie? Or was he just the bud of some cruel joke that fate was playing?

_I can't escape myself._

_So many times I've lied._

_But there's still rage inside._

_Somebody get me through this nightmare!_

_I can't control myself!_

It all started after Midna had shattered the Mirror of Twilight, Link and Zelda went their seperate ways. She went back to the castle, and Link returned to Ordon (after returning the Master Sword, of course). Zelda's father had been killed by Zant as a warning to the Humans, similar to what happened to Prince Ralis' mother, Rutella. So, Link thought that it would be best not to disturb the Princess for a while. In the mean time, Link had decided to try to get things back to normal in Ordon. Well, as normal as things could be. At first, his return created an uproar that could've shook the foundation of Hyrule Castle. There was a huge feast, dancing, merriment and much more.

Things had calmed down after a couple of nights and Link returned to his job of herding goats for Fado. Link used to enjoy his work, but now it just seemed so bland to him. He knew that he needed something else, but what? He spent many sleepless nights dwelling on this thought. It took a couple of weeks, but he finally found out what it was he wanted. To kill, to take a life. To hear the terrified shreak of a Bokoblin just before Link's sword fell upon it's head. To feel the warm slap of fresh blood against his face. But most of all, he wanted to see it. See the carnage that he could create. Link startled himself when he realized the horrible truth. This was a small village with children, definately not a place for thoughts like those. And so, he continued his work. And, despite the growing hole inside of him that could only be filled with the bodies of his enemies, he managed to put on a smile and play with the children like he used to.

Then it all took a drastic turn. One day, Link was standing outside of his home grooming Epona. Her fur was getting a little coarse, and needed to be brushed. He felt a tug on his tunic (he had preffered to keep the Hero's Clothes on when he wasn't working), he looked down to see Colin staring up at him. Talo, Malo and Beth were also with him. "Uuh, Link, can I ask you something?" Colin asked nervously. "Sure, what is it Col?" Link said, stopping his brushing to turn to Colin. "The rest of us are going fishing by the waterwheel. We wanted you to come with us." Colin said. "Sorry Col, but I need to finish Epona's grooming. Then I need to feed her afterwards." Link said. Dissapointment was written all over the children's faces. "Well, I tell you what. How about you guys start without me, then I'll join you once I'm done here." Link offered. "But we want you to come with us." Colin pleaded. "Colin, I can't just leave Epona here with no food." Link said, he was remaining calm but there was a twang of anger evident in his voice. "Come on Link." Colin continued to plead. That was it, Link threw Epona's brush to the ground. "Damn it Colin, I said not now!" Link yelled in anger.

With that, he delivered a strong punch to the side of Colin's face. Colin went flying and landed onto the hard ground with a thud. Talo, Malo and Beth stared at him, their eyes wide with shock. It was like they were staring at a beast that was about to kill them. Link looked down at his shaking hands. The hands that were made to combat the power of evil were now being used to harm one of Link's dearest friends. Link grabbed his head and let out a piercing scream, as if their was something trying to burrow itself into his head. Link swiftly climbed up the ladder, ran inside his house, and slammed the door behind him. He leaned back against the door, contemplating what he had just done. He had hurt Colin, his best friend. He was shaking violently. He came to a swift conclusion, he could not stay here. Link grabbed the Ordon Sword that he had left hanging on his wall. Link burst out the front door of his house and, withought so much as a glance at the children, he ran. He could hear the kid's yelling, urging him to come back. But those yells fell on deaf ears. Link ran through the woods and past the spring. He tripped on a large rock and lost one of his boots. Withought thinking, he removed the second boot and continued to run.

Link ran faster and farther than he ever had before. He didn't know why he was running, but he wouldn't stop. Link finally collapsed in front of the Bridge of Eldin. He somehow found the strength to sit up against the wall at the end of the bridge. He took some time to think about what happend. He was no longer Link the Hero of Twilight, he was a monster. A bloodthirsty, war mongering, mindless monster. He looked down at his tunic, the tunic that had once been worn by the fabeld Hero of Time. Link quikly removed the tunic and undershirt. "I'm no longer worthy of these." Link said to himself. He folded the tunic and set it beside him, no need in taking his anger out on an article of clothing. He undid the strap around the torso and fixed the sheathed Ordon Sword onto it and put it on. There was no question that he would be needing a weapon from now on.

And now came the question of where to go from here. He would rather die than go back to Ordon and see Colin's pained face. He couldn't go to Hyrule Castle Town, there was far too many people there. Kokiri Village perhaps. No, that's the first place the Ordanians would look for him. He would never be able to live amongst the Gorons or the Zoras. Racial predjudice was not a problem in Hyrule, but he would rather not risk it. He had to think of a place that was desolate, with no people, but where he could still live. Only one place came to mind, the Gerudo Desert. The Bokoblins had built a fortress there. They must've had a source of water. And there were plenty of animals for him to hunt. And the fortress itself would prove to be a good shelter, despite the fact that a portion of it was burned after the battle between him and King Bulbulblin. But most importantly, it was far away from civilization. Away from people that he could hurt... or worse. His mind was settled. He picked himself up and began the long journey to the desert.

That was a little over a week ago. Link had made it to the fortress a few days ago. There weren't many Gerudos left, but every now and againe they would attempt to raid the fortress. They always came back with more numbers. But it always ended the same way, Link slaughterd them all without mercy or pity. Constant vigilance was important. But he hadn't seen any sign of activity from the Gerudo camp. So he decided to take a walk and was now sitting on top of a sand dune not far from the fortress. He scanned the twilight horizon. His eyes, once shining with optimism and a zest for life, now burned with anger at the passing of the life he once knew. He could barely make out the shape of Hyrule Castle, looming over the kingdom of Hyrule. Princess Zelda was surely there. Whether she was striken with worry for him or she had forgotten him completely was a mystery to him.

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me!?_

_No one will ever change this animal I have become!_

_Help me believe it's not the real me!_

_Somebody help me tame this animal I have become!_

_Help me believe it's not the real me!_

_Somebody help me tame this animal!_

Zelda. Whenever he heard that name, all his troubls seemed to dissipate, if only for a moment. He smiled inwardly to himself, he couldn't help it. He barely knew Zelda, but the little time they had spent together on the return journey to Hyrule Castle were some of the best moments of his life. At first, he was quit shaken by Midna leaving, never to return. But Zelda was there for him. She made him smile and forget about the troubles in the world. And she told him that he was the only person who could make her laugh. She was also sad about Midna leaving, she was the only friend that Zelda had in the lonliness of the Twilight Realm. Soon, Link and Zelda learned to think of each other as more than just a hero and a princess. They became friends, close friends. Not being able to see her angle-like face or hear her lyrical voice, coupled with the pain of not being able to go back to see his friends, was like torture to him. He would run straight to Hyrule Castle with god speed if he could. But he was dangerous. If he harmed his princess, that would be the death of him. So he was doomed to wander this wasteland for the rest of his miserable life. The only glimmer of joy that he had, were the memories of the times before the adventure that brought whatever life he once had to ruine. Times when he would play with Ilia and the children. When he would train in the ways of the sword with Russel. But his most fondest memories were of the times he had spent with Zelda. For a while, he wonderd why he couldn't stop thinking about her. It was only recently that he had realized why. He was in love with the princess of Hyrule.

_Somebody help me through this nightmare!_

_I can't control myself!_

_Somebody wake me from this nightmare!_

_I can't escape this hell!_

Link's thoughts were interrupted by a faint sound behind him. He pricked his ears up, it was the sound of footsteps. It wasn't a Gerudo, a Gerudo would take more care in disquising the sound of their footsteps. "If you enjoy having a head attached to the rest of your body, then I suggest you turn and walk away now." Link said, not even bothering to turn and face the interloper. "I do rather like my head, but I'm not leaving you." the figure said. The voice sounded muffled, like the person's mouth was coverd by a scarf wich made it impossible to judge the person's gender or age. The person's words piqued Link's interest. He looked over his shoulder to have a look at his "guest". The figure was covered in a dark ebon robe. And there was a hood pulled over it's head. He could also make out a scarf covering it's mouth.

"And just what do you want?" Link asked. "Relax, I'm just here to talk." the figure said. "What's there to talk about? I'm a beast, that's all there is to it." Link said. "You must have faith in the Goddesses. They shall make everything right, give it time." the figure said. Link snorted as if he didn't take what the figure said seriously. "My goddesses have forsaken me. I save Hyrule and this is how I am rewarded, by being left with an unqwenchable thirst for blood. To the Goddesses, I'm nothing more than a puppet who can be tossed aside without a second thought once it's work is done." Link said. "That's not true, you know that. Don't you remember your friends? I would believe that they miss you very much." the figure said. "I do remember them. But I don't dare go back to them. There's a beast inside of me that knows nothing but killing, I can feel it. It's not safe for me to be around anyone." Link said. "Maybe so, but I know someone who would rather risk encountering that beast than go on living without you." the figure said. With that, the figure undid it's scarf and let it fall to the ground. Then it pulled back it's hood. Link's heart skipped a beat, for standing in front of him was Princess Zelda.

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me!?_

_No one will ever change this animal I have become!_

_Help me believe it's not the real me!_

_Somebody help me tame this animal I have become!_

_Help me believe it's not the real me!_

_Somebody help me tame this animal I have become!_

Link was dumbstruck, there was the woman he loved, standing right in front of him. He just wanted to take her in his arm and never let her go. But no, he was dangerous. Link jumped to his feet, whirled around to face Zelda with his hand gripping the hilt of the Ordon Sword. "Zelda, stay back!" Link orderd. "Link, this isn't you. I've seen the real you. The real you would make me smile during times when there was nothing to smile about, he would make me laugh when there was nothing to laugh about, and he would make me feel safe just by being around me. And I know that that Link is still there. You just need to be stronger than this beast." Zelda said, a look of worry in her eyes.

That voice, it was a voice that could make Nayru weep with envy. Link was so overcome to hear it againe. But he had to stand his ground. If Zelda got close, he would hurt her. "Zelda, you can't be around me! It's too dangerouse, _I'm_ too dangerouse!" Link yelled, drawing his sword. "Link, I'm here to help." Zelda said, stretching her hand out towards him. Link swung at her hand with his sword. Luckily, Zelda was able to pull her hand back before his stroke connected. "Zelda, please... I don't want to hurt you." Link said with a pleeding look in his eyes. "No Link, I'm not going to abandon you... I love you!" Zelda yelled. Link was stunned for a moment. Did he really hear what he thought her heard? Or was madness finally taking over?

Then, Zelda did something that stunned Link even more. In that momentary stall, she rushed towards him, threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips tightly against his. Due to the force of Zelda running into him and the general shock of it all, Link dropped his sword and fell backwards onto the sand. It took Link a moment to get out of his shocked state. When he did, he tried desperately to push Zelda off of him. He was still afraid of the beast within him. But the more he struggled, the tighter Zelda hugged his neck and the harder she kissed him. Eventually, Link gave in. Slowely he closed his eyes, put his arms around Zelda, and kissed her back.

Zelda finally pulled away from Link. To Link's surprise, Zelda seemed just as shocked at what she had done as Link was. Zelda got off of Link wich allowed him to sit up next to her. "I'm so sorry Link. I was so wrapped up in my own grief over losing my father that I forgot all about how you must have felt. I snuck out of the castle and went to Ordon to visit, but they said that you went mad and ran off. I was so overcome with guilt and worry that I just couldn't think straight. Then one night I had a vision, I saw you standing in the middle of a desert, covered in blood with a sword in your hand. I've been a horrid friend to you. First I ignore you for a month, and now I've commited the ultimate invasion of your privacy." Zelda said as tears began to form in her eyes. "You must hate me." Zelda said, tears now running down her cheeks.

Link used his index finger to tilt Zelda's chin up so that she was looking at him. He used his free hand to wipe the tears from Zelda's eyes. "Please don't cry Zelda, I can't stand it when you cry. And I could never hate you, I don't know why you would ever think that." Link said gently to her. "But Link, I _kissed _you." Zelda said. "Zelda, you wouldn't leave me even when I told you to. You're my light when there is only darkness. You're my hope when all I have is despaire. You're my everything. I could _never_ hate you. The truth is... I love you too Zelda." Link said. Zelda's eyes widened in shock at hearing those words. Link moved his hand from Zelda's chin to her cheek. For a while they sat there, staring into each other's eyes. Eventually, they both leaned in closer to each other. The small distance between their lips closed quikly and they were softly kissing each other. I love you. With those three simple words, Zelda had done for Link what no one else could do. She had tamed the animal he had become.

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There it is, my first none humor fic. I must admit, I had some fun doing this. Maybe if I get some positive feedback, I'll do another one.


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